Archive for the ‘NaBloPoMo’ Category

ETA: Remember how I said I couldn’t think of anything for making my own loser badge, so I just altered one? That one is still below, but of course after I turned off my computer and got into bed I had four or five brilliant ideas. The above was my favorite. Get it?

Yep, that’s right, one stinkin’ day. And so early on, too. Well, here’s to pressing on anyway, that’s like winning, right?

Yes, there is definite relief here, in the last post of NaBloPoMo ’08. In some ways, it’s been a pretty cool blogging month here at Quaking Aspen. Even if I did miss one day, almost at the start. Doggone it.

Well, I didn’t have the energy to make my own badge, so I stole one from Dory and altered it just a little. You’ll see it bright and early tomorrow. Because heck YEAH I’m pre-posting it. I don’t intend to get online for quite a while, or at least, I don’t intend to be a presence for most of next month. (Maybe a little bit to supervise and clarify my fox pattern from yesterday – already getting a ton of hits.) (Well, a ton for me.)

Like a true addict, I always flip back and forth, and now I’m on the back (or is it the forth?) with regards to my blogging and blog reading and the intertubes generally. In other words, my friends, I need to get a life. Plus, you know, Christmas, all that. Tomorrow I hope to do some serious work on the house, so that we can actually decorate – that is, have places to put decorations. And it certainly won’t happen if I’m online.

So I’ll say bye for the moment, probably the whole of next month. Happy holidays!

ETA 11/30: The ear section in particular is a bit tricky. I am editing the instructions slightly, and will be adding have added a video. If you have more questions or troubleshooting, please, leave me a comment! (Or, hey, even if you just like it…)

At last, the pattern! It works up quite small – he rests in the palm of your hand. (I’ll try to add a photo to make the scale clear.) I tested it making a pink fox for my daughter – perhaps I will add a pic later. Let me know if there are mistakes, or I need to clarify. Feel free to make many little foxes – and please, I’d love to see photos! – but please do not copy the pattern to your own site – leave a link instead. Also, please do not sell the pattern, nor make them and sell them online. Thanks.

four loop bobble (in feet): (Yarn over hook and insert hook into stitch; yo and pull up a loop; yo and pull the yarn through 2 loops) repeat this 3 times into the same stitch – you will have 4 loops on your hook. YO and pull through all 4 loops. Here is a nice video tutorial; this site also has a few pictures.

Please note: normally I suggest, when making amigurumi, alternating the pattern a little to avoid lines, i.e. if the pattern of the round is (1 + inc) around and the next is (2 + inc) around, I would say alternate whether you start with the 1 sc or the inc, so as to avoid a line where all the inc are lined up. HOWEVER, in the head part of this pattern, it is important to follow the instructions so as to get the proper shaping. In the body and tail you may want to try the alternating I talked about above.

Yeah. That’s my day in four words. No shopping for me. Instead I woke up at 6 am (!!!) and was forced to get up because my face (i.e. sinuses) hurt so badly. Then I read some of Little Women and watched some movies and worked on a couple crochet projects (for my friend, not my kids, I gotta figure out how to hide stuff from my kids). We were going to go to The Big City to visit my father in law tomorrow (though he’s coming home soon), but they wouldn’t let me into the burn unit with this horrifying cold (or if they would, they shouldn’t), and my husband is starting to feel a little sick too. So it’s staying home tomorrow also. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to sleep lying down tonight.

Little Women (not strictly a Christmas movie, but I always want to watch it this time of year)

the old Disney cartoons, Small One and Mickey’s Christmas Carol

My husband loves the Santa Clause movies, and of course my kids are fans of the Rudolph classics. (Which is fine, but there’s definitely a reason we keep them hidden away the rest of the year.)

What do you like to watch at Christmastime? I will have to make an effort to see Miracle on 34th Street this year. Give me some more options, my friends. If I stay sick the rest of the weekend, I’m going to run through all my usuals and need some more….

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup (I prefer Campbell’s for this, rather than generic)

3/4 (or so) cup of milk

2/3 cup french fried onions, plus another 2/3 cup for topping

salt and pepper to taste, add a little extra pepper, go on

So, mix it all, except the topping, and bake it. 350 for about half an hour. Then top with the rest of the onions, and brown them for about five minutes.

Yeah, it’s pretty basic, but the texture of the french cut green beans and the addition of the corn TOTALLY make it awesome. I’ll be making a double batch tomorrow to take to dinner. (With the In-Town inlaws; my father-in-law is still in the hospital, but doing well enough that they’re talking about releasing him soon. Things to be grateful for.)